A True And Holy Life

Here’s Today’s Devotional from The Vine…

There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the priestly division of Abijah. He had a wife of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. - Luke 1:5

 

It makes a great deal of difference in what times and amid what circumstances and influences a man lives. In godly days, when piety pervades all life, it is not remarkable that one should live righteously; but when the times are ungodly, and the prevailing spirit is unrighteous, the life that is holy and devout shines with rare splendour, like a lamp in the darkness.

Such were the times and the spirit of “the days of Herod,” and such were the lives of the blameless old people, who are here mentioned. Amid the almost universal corruption of the priesthood and hypocrisy of the Pharisees, they lived in piety and godly simplicity.

The lesson is that it is not necessary for us to be like other people, if other people are not what they ought to be. The prevalent standard of living ought not to satisfy us, if the prevalent standard is low. No matter how corrupt the times, we should strive to live righteous and godly lives.

Nor is this impossible. God is able and willing to give us all the grace we need to enable us to live a true and holy life in the most unfavouring circumstances; and He will do so if He has really placed us in these circumstances. God makes no mistakes in planting people in this world. He does not put any of us in a spiritual climate in which we cannot grow into beauty and strength; and wherever He plants us, He sends the streams of grace to refresh us.

So, whatever our circumstances may be, it is possible for us to live a godly life. The darker the night of sin about us, the clearer and steadier should be the light that streams from our life and conduct. Any one should be able to live well in the midst of friendly influences and favouring circumstances; but it is doubly important that we be loyal and true to Christ when surrounded by those who care not for Him.

Jesus Came To Reveal To Us The Heavenly Father

By David Wilkerson
[May 19, 1931 - April 27, 2011]

Jesus came to earth as a Man to redeem humankind from sin and from every kind
of bondage and imprisonment. That fact has been established in the minds and
hearts of most Christians. But Christ also came to earth to reveal to us the
heavenly Father.

Jesus told His disciples, “The Father hath sent me” (John 5:36). He said, “I
can of mine own self do nothing . . . I seek not mine own will, but the will of
the Father which hath sent me” (verse 30). And finally He stated, “I go unto my
Father” (14:12).

Listen carefully to what Jesus is saying: “I came from the Father and while I
am here, I do only His will. Soon I will go back to my Father.” Jesus said His
entire life was about the heavenly Father: His coming to earth, His purpose
while here, and His return. It was all about revealing the Father.

“The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do . . . the
Father . . . sheweth him all things that himself doeth” (John 5:19-20).

Jesus said He had no will of His own, that He did nothing on earth except the
will of His Father. Indeed, Christ told the Pharisees, “Watch My life, My
ministry, all the miracles and good works I do, and you will see the heavenly
Father. Everything I do is a reflection of who He is and it is all meant to
reveal Him to you.”

“All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but
the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to
whomsoever the Son will reveal him” (Matthew 11:27).

Jesus is saying here, “It is impossible for you to know who the Father is
unless I reveal Him to you. You cannot get that revelation on your own just by
reading the Bible or going to church. I must reveal Him to you.”

“No man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6).

A True and Holy Life

Here’s Today’s Devotional from The Vine…

There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the priestly division of Abijah. He had a wife of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. - Luke 1:5

It makes a great deal of difference in what times and amid what circumstances and influences a man lives. In godly days, when piety pervades all life, it is not remarkable that one should live righteously; but when the times are ungodly, and the prevailing spirit is unrighteous, the life that is holy and devout shines with rare splendour, like a lamp in the darkness.

Such were the times and the spirit of “the days of Herod,” and such were the lives of the blameless old people, who are here mentioned. Amid the almost universal corruption of the priesthood and hypocrisy of the Pharisees, they lived in piety and godly simplicity.

The lesson is that it is not necessary for us to be like other people, if other people are not what they ought to be. The prevalent standard of living ought not to satisfy us, if the prevalent standard is low. No matter how corrupt the times, we should strive to live righteous and godly lives.

Nor is this impossible. God is able and willing to give us all the grace we need to enable us to live a true and holy life in the most unfavouring circumstances; and He will do so if He has really placed us in these circumstances. God makes no mistakes in planting people in this world. He does not put any of us in a spiritual climate in which we cannot grow into beauty and strength; and wherever He plants us, He sends the streams of grace to refresh us.

So, whatever our circumstances may be, it is possible for us to live a godly life. The darker the night of sin about us, the clearer and steadier should be the light that streams from our life and conduct. Any one should be able to live well in the midst of friendly influences and favouring circumstances; but it is doubly important that we be loyal and true to Christ when surrounded by those who care not for Him.

Zigging When Others Zag

Today God Is First By Os Hill

Therefore the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. “He put mud on my eyes,” the man replied, “and I washed, and now I see” (John 9:14-15).

Before I owned my own advertising agency, I worked for another ad agency. The owner was a man who was very creative and taught me that if you want to be remembered and want to stand out among the crowd, you must “zig” when others are “zagging.” This was a another way of saying, “Do something very different so that your work will stand out among the crowded marketplace.”

When I owned my own firm, we created several award-winning ad campaigns. One ad we created won international marketing awards. It was promoting a new brand of plush carpet. It’s still on my wall in my office. In our ad we featured a white Persian cat in the ad. However, it looked like the body of the cat was submerged. You could only see the head of the cat as if the plush carpet made him sink. People wrote us and thought we had killed a cat to make our point. It was all trick photography. It became a memorable ad.

Jesus did things that caused people to talk. Today, we would call this “creating a buzz.” One such miracle Jesus did that caused a buzz was when a man wanted Jesus to heal him. Instead of saying a religious prayer, He reached down and grabbed some mud and put it on his eyes. I can only wonder what the man must have thought. When he washed off the mud he could see. When the Pharisees asked how he was healed, the man told him. The Pharisees must been totally confused. Jesus did this to confront the religious spirit among the Pharisees and keep things focused on the source of the miracle, not the way it was done. Be aware when God does things outside your paradigm of experience. Don’t jump to conclusions about the ways of God if they don’t fit your paradigm. Jesus rarely does things the same way every time. This is intentional in order to keep us trusting in His power, not His ways.

Sourdough Bread

Image via Wikipedia

READ: Luke 12:1-7

Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. —Luke 12:1
Sourdough bread became popular during the California Gold Rush of the mid-1800s. In the 1890s, it was a favorite during the great Gold Rush in Alaska. Prospectors would carry with them a small portion of sourdough mix that contained a natural yeast. It could then be used as a starter to make more of their favorite sourdough bread.
In the Bible, though, yeast or leaven can have a negative connotation. For example, in the New Testament, “leaven” is often referred to as a corrupting influence. This is why Jesus said: “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy” (Luke 12:1).
Hypocrites put on a show of righteousness while hiding sinful thoughts and behavior. Christ warned His disciples and us that secret sins will someday be exposed to full disclosure. He said, “There is nothing covered that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known” (v.2). Because of this, we are to reverentially fear God, to ask for His grace to forsake any sin, and to grow as authentic believers.
Yeast may be a blessing in the bakery, but it can also remind us to guard against the permeating influence of sin in our hearts. —Dennis Fisher
The holiness of God demands
A heart that’s pure within,
Yet grace unites with holiness
To purge the heart from sin. —D. De Haan
Be sure your sin will find you out. Numbers 32:23

From Our Daily Bread